Rail joint bar



June 28, 1932. G: LANGFQRD RAIL JOINT BAR Original Filed April 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l &

@eqyeZm? ljy MM Jun 28, 1932.

G. LANGFORD 1,865,194

RAIL JOINT BAR Original Filed April 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 28, 1932 GEORGE LANGFORD, OF JULIET, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO IYICKENNA PROCESS COIVIPANY OF ILLINOIS, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS, A CGBPORATION OF ILLINOIS BAIL JOINT BAR Original application filed April 25, 1930, Serial No. 147,122, now Patent No. 1,814,835, dated July 14:, 1931.

Divided and this application filed February 24, 1931.

This invention relates to rail joint bars, and more particularly to bars specially adapted for use with worn rail ends.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 1417 ,122, filed April 25, 1930, for raii joint bar, now Patent No. 1,814,835, dated July 1 1, 193

A rail joint of ordinary construction comprises the rail ends and joint bars secured thereto at opposite sides thereof, by means of bolts passing through the bars and the rail web. These bars are straight laterally and have fishing contact with the head and the flange of the rail ends, the fishing surfaces of 5 the heads and the flanges of the bars being of uniform width. In such a joint wear occurs at the center one-third of the bar, in a short bar, or the center one-fourth of the bar, in a long bar. A short bar is approximately twenty-four inches in length and a long bar may be thirty-six inches or greater in length. This center wear of the joint is characteristic of rail joints of present construction, and the wear at the head of the joint is greater than the wear at the flange or foot of the joint.

'When the bars are initially applied in the joint there is draw space between the head and foot of the bar and the web of the rail. As Wear progresses, the bars are drawn inwardly to the rails, by bolt tension, to take up wear. Since the wear is at the center of the joint, and little or no wear occurs at the ends of the joint, the end portions of the bar resist inward movement thereof to the rail rendering it difficult, and in some cases impossible, to maintain tight fishing contact at the center of the oint. After the draw space has been. used up, or the joint becomes objectionably loose at the center portion thereof, the bars have to be removed and replaced by new or unworm bars. This raises the difficulty of obtaining tight center contact between the bars and the rail ends, due to wear which has occurred at the head and flange of the rail.

It is known to provide bars having increased fishing height at the center portion thereof, known as crowned bars, for fitting to worn rail ends. These bars have fishing surfaces of uniform width and, when applied Serial No. 517,685.

in a joint, the crowned central portion of the bar fits into the worn portions of the rail ends. in some instances, the end portions of the bar are flexed inwardly by bolt tension so that the center portion of the bar is held by spring pressure against the rail ends. In such a bar, however, the wear at the center portion is greater than at the end portions, which renders it diificult to maintain the joint tight at the center and necessitates increased crowning of the bars which may be applied to the rails after the crowned bars first applied have worn out.

It is also known to provide bars of abnormal fishing height, such bars being curved inwardly lengthwise thereof and throughout their entire section, the head, the web and he flange of the bar having the same degree of curvature. It is also known to provide bars wherein only one or two of the three members are incurved, the other one or two members being straight. Such a bar is known as a curved bar. A bar of this type with incurved head is objectionable in that the head projects outwardly beyond the rail head, at the ends of the bar, and the ends of the bar head are struck by the flanges of the wheels traveling upon the track.

I have found that the above noted obj-ections to the crowned bar and the incurved bar can be avoided by providing a bar having the upper outer corner of the head cut away at the end portions of the bar so as to narrow the head fishing surface at the end portions, thereby accelerating the rate of end portion wear as compared with center portion wear, so that the end portions of the bar will wear and be moved by bolt tension to the rails more rapidly than in the case of ordinary bars with uniform width of fishing contact from end to end. The flange fishing surface may be treated in the same manner when desired. The head portion of the bar so treated has the additional advantage, particularly in the case of a bar with incurved head, of avoiding projecting corners at the end portions of the bar which might be struck, on the inside of the track, by passing train wheels. This narrowing of the end portions of a fishing surface may also be accomplished by removal of segments at the inner corners of the head or foot of the bar adjacent a fishing surface. In all cases, the narrowing of a fishing surface of a head or foot member is accomplished, in part at least, by removal of a segment from the inner or outer corner of the member adjacent a fishing surface at the end portions of the bar. Bars with segments so removed from the outer corner form the substance of the present invention, applicable to crowned or uncrowned bars which may be longitudinally straight or curved, as a whole or having only certain members curved wholly or in part.

In the drawings: I V

Figure'l is a side View of a rail joint of ordinary construction, the bar being shown as a flat strap, illustrating the center wear of the joint;

Figure 2 is an end view of a crowned bar of known type applied to a worn rail end;

Figure 3 is an end view of a curved bar of known type applied to a worn rail end;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the curved bar of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an outer side view of the curved bar of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the crowned bar of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an outer side view of the crowned bar of Figure 2, this view being diagrammatic and the bar being shown as a fiat strap;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the curved bar of Figure 3 illustrating how the bar of my invention may be produced therefrom, the bar being shown diagrammatically and as a flat strap;

Figure 9 is an end view, on an enlarged scale, of the bar of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is an inner side view of the bar of Figure 8;

Figure 11 is an outer side view of the bar of Figure 8;

Figure 12 is a plan view of the crowned bar of Figure 2, the bar being shown diagrammatically and as a fiat strap, illustrating how a modified bar may be produced from such crowned bar;

Figure 18 is an end view of the bar of Figure 12, on an enlarged scale;

Figure 14: is an inner side view of the bar of Figure 12;

Figure 15 is an outer side view of the bar of Figure 12.

In order to obtain a clear understanding of the construction of the bar of my invention, it is necessary to consider the crowned bar and the incurved bar of the prior art, above referred to. The incurved bar of the prior art is shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5. This bar is of uniform fishing height and throughout its entire cross section, both the head and the flange of the bar, as well as the web thereof being curved inwardly. If this bar be considered as a flat strap, as in Figure 8, the outer line of each fishing surface would be made crowned by removing a segment from the outer portion of the bar at each end thereof, as indicated by the shaded segments 12-3.' The resulting bar would then have its outer concave curvature removed and retain an inwardly curved face. Referring to Figure 9, the fishing surfaces of the bar are inclined oppositely for contact with the fishing surfaces of the rail ends. Due to this inclination of the fishing surfaces, removal of segments from the outer fishing corners at the end portions of the bar results in lowering the ends of the outer edge of the upper fishing surface and raising the ends of the outer edge of the lower fishing surface so that this bar, when viei ed from the outer side has its outer fishing lines similar to those of a crowned bar, as in Figure 11, and when viewed from the inner side has its inner fishing lines straightor uncrowned as in the ordinary incurved bar. As one purpose of outer corner bevelling is to narrow the top fishing surface and the extreme top portion of the bar so that it will not project laterally beyond the side of the rail head, the top outer corner is bevelled outwardly and downwardly as along the surface 1--2 3 at the top of Figure 9, so that the extreme top portion of the bar, as well as the fishing surface, is narrowed. If this same corner were bevelled outwardly and upwardly or outwardly and horizontally, although the top fishing surface would be narrowed, the extreme top portion of the bar would not be narrowed, and in the case of bars with sloping top outer surface it would be widened. In the case of the bottom of the bar, the bevelling is outward and upward. As shown in Fig. 9, the bevelling off of an outer corner adjacent a fishing surface is directed outwardly and toward the hori- Zontal axis of the bar so as to increase the vertical angle of part of the outer surface of the bar adjacent the fishing surface whereby the fishing surface is made narrower at its end portions than at its center portion. At both top and bottom, the outer vertical extremities of the bar are in the planes of the respective fishing surfaces.

It is also possible to produce bars from crowned bars of ordinary type. In Figure 1" I have illustrated, in plan view, the crowned bar of Figure 2, this bar being shown as a fiat strap. The inner and outer sides of this bar are both straight lengthwise of the bar. If segments 1314.-15 be removed from the inner corner of each end portion of bar 16, the inner fishing line at top and bottom of this bar will be curved inwardly and the outer fishing line at top and bottom thereof will be straight lengthwise of the bar. The top and bottom fishing surfaces will thereby be made narrower at their end portions than at their center portions.

8 r on its outer corners adjacent the iishin g surface thereof and at each end of the bar, the

It will be understood that Figures 8 to 15, inclusive, shown as flat straps for clearness of illustration, represent angle, ii-beam, or any other type of bars providing for top in bottom fishing Contact their center s end portions. The present invention resides in bars with one or born fishing surfaces narrowed at their end portions by removal of segments from the outer corners adjacent fishing surfaces. The invention may be ap plied to crowned or uncrowned bars with or without lateral curvature considered longitudinally, or only partially curved wherein one or two of the he? i, web and foot members are curved, v er one or two i 'nbers b I n is preferably 21 1S particu a .ed to rail ends, st an d is not int-en 4. i l ly 1n the bars are welded, riv fastened iminovably to rail will be no moi em at and re the contacting iisl lVhat ll claim is:

1. A rail joint bar comprising a head element, a flange element ant. a connecting web, said bar being adapted for both cei 1' an. end fishing contact with the rail ends when applied in a joint, one of said elements bcing incurved on its inner f led itlCG and bev bevel tapering from the ends of the bar toward the middle thereof and providing duced width of fishing surface at the ends of the bar with such surface increasing in to width toward the middle of the bar.

2. A. rail joint bar comprising head and foot elements and a connecting web, one of said elements having a fishing surface narrowing toward its ends, said bar being reformed from an incurved bar having a fisning surface of substantially uniform width by removal of segments from the outer corners of said incurved bar and contiguous to said fishing surface thereof, with the removed segments tapering in width from the ends of the bar, whereby the corners of the reformed bar corresponding to the removed segments taper in width from the ends of the 1 bar, and the end portions of the fishing surface of the reformed bar taper correspondingly in width toward the ends of the bar.

8. A splice bar or fish plate having or portions which extend away from the rails before the rail joint bolts are tightened, the tops of these end portions being bevelled downwardly and outwardly on the outer side, with the bevel tapering from the ends of the bar toward the middle of the bar, providing greater clearance at the ends of the bar for the flanges of the car wheels than at the mid-- dle of the bar.

A rail joint bar, originally of uniform cross-section throughout its length, reformed from a worn bar, said reformed bar having its top member incurved and having its top outer corner bevelled downwardly and outwardly at the end portions of the bar whereby the top fishing surface is made narrower at the end portions of the bar than at the center portior thereof.

A rail joint bar reformed from a worn bar ori inally of substantially uniform crosssection throughout its length, said reformed bar having portions of its length each side of -e center portion deflected outwardly, the c flected portions having their top outer i. crs bevelled downwardly and outward iy, whereby the top fishing surface is of less width at the deflected portions of the bar than the center portion thereof.

6. rail joint bar reformed J 1 it rail joint bar having portions of its length. each side of the center portion do- -!-i nected ou wardly, the top member having its top outer corner bevelled downwardly and outwardl the outwardly deflected portions, whereby the top fishing surface of said outwardly deflected portions is wid' h an at said center portion.

8. it. rail joint having the end portions of its top fishing surface made narrower t ran the fishing surface of its center portion by removal of segments of metal from the top outer corner of said end portions, said segments being removed outwardly and downwardly.

9. A rail joint bar having its top outer corner bevelled downwardly and outwardly the end portions of the lr r so that the upper part of the top outer surface of the bar adjacent the top fishing surface is at a greater angle vertically its end portions at its center portion, whereby the top fishing surface is of less width at its end ortions than at its center porti on.

10. A rail joint bar of substantially uniform cross-section throughout its le gth except for a bevelling off of the outer corner of least one of its top and bottom members adjacent fishing surface at the end portions of the bar, s l bevelling being directed outwardly and toward the horizontal a i at its center portion whereby said fishing surface is of less width at its end portions than at its center portion.

11. A rail joint bar having its top member incurved and having its top outer corner bevelled downwardly and outwardly along the end portions of the bar so that the upper part of the top outer surface of the bar adjacent the top fishing surface is at a greater angle vertically at its end portions than at its center portion, and the bevelled surfaces taper from the end portions to the center portion, whereby the width of the top fishing surface gradually increases from the ends of the bar to the center portion.

12. An incurved rail joint bar of uniform fishing height and above normal fishing height for use on worn rails, said bar having its top member bevelled outwardly and downwardly at the end portions of the bar so that the upper part of the top outer surface of the bar adjacent the top fishing surface is at a greater angle vertically at its end portions than at its center portion, whereby the top fishing surface is of less width at its end portions than at its center portion.

13. A rail joint bar having its center portion deflected inwardly, the top member having portions of its length each side of the center portion bevelled on its top outer corner downwardly and outwardly so that the upper part of the top outer surface of the bar adjacent the top fishing surface is at a greater angle vertically each side of the center portion of the bar than at the center portion, whereby the top fishing surface is of less width each side of its center portion than at its center portion.

14:. A rail joint bar having the end portions of its bottom member bevelled upwardly and outwardly on the bottom outer corner adjacent the bottom fishing surface so that the lower part of the bottom outer surface of the bar adjacent the bottom fishing surface is at a greater angle vertically at its end portions than at its center portion, whereby the bottom fishing surface is of less width at its end portions than at its center portion.

15. A rail joint bar having its top member incurvcd along its inner face and straight along its outer face, and having its top outer corner bevelled downwardly and outwardly at the end portions of the bar, whereby the top fishing is of less width at its end portions than at its center portion and extends laterally outward less at the end portions than at the center portion.

16. A rail joint bar reformed from a bar of uniform cross-section throughout its length, said reformed bar having on at least of its top and bottom members bevelled on its outer corner adjacent a fishing surface at por-- tions of the bar each side of the center portion, the bevelling being directed outwardly and toward the horizontal axis of the bar whereby the fishing surface of said member of said reformed bar is made narrower each side of the center portion of the bar than at said center portion.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my'name this 20th day of February, 1931.

GEORGE LANGFORD. 

